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<title>One Big Happy Family — *Appa &amp; Momo* by HufflepuffChildOfApollo</title>
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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25593319">One Big Happy Family — *Appa &amp; Momo*</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/HufflepuffChildOfApollo/pseuds/HufflepuffChildOfApollo'>HufflepuffChildOfApollo</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>One Big Happy Family [13]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Avatar: The Last Airbender</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Gen, This Will Probably Suck, Western Air Temple, Who loves animals, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck, particularly huge ones he can hide under when Katara's being angry</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 05:22:38</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,799</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25593319</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/HufflepuffChildOfApollo/pseuds/HufflepuffChildOfApollo</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A two-part exploration of Appa and Momo's feelings concerning the newest member of their humans' friend group.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Appa &amp; The Gaang (Avatar), Appa &amp; Zuko (Avatar), Momo &amp; Sokka (Avatar), Momo &amp; Zuko (Avatar)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>One Big Happy Family [13]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1799011</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>45</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>635</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Part I: Appa</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Appa recognizes the tall, scarred newcomer who smells of smoke. The one who freed him from the dark, human-built cave under the city full of walls. The one who pursued Appa's humans across the world. </p>
<p>He doesn't seem happy with Appa's greeting. </p>
<p>The humans communicate in angry and defensive voices, and then the human with the power over waters (Ka-tar-a, the other humans address her) shows  her ability against the scarred one, chasing him off. </p>
<p>Appa doesn't think more of it after Favorite Human (known by most as Aang) takes him to the bison stables and flies off to find the apples that grow at the top of the cliff. Appa can still find the scent of the bison like himself who lived here before. He hasn't met any since Favorite Human took him out flying over the big lake, into the ice. The scent here is faint, stale. Like it could be carried away with the wind at any moment. Appa settles onto the floor, scooping towards him a pile of leaves the wind has generously pushed in through the doorway. </p>
<p>It's been so long since he's felt wind this strong, been so high up he can breathe properly, heard the comforting whistle and felt the breeze through his fur. </p>
<p>He closes his eyes, taking in the feeling of being home.</p>
<p>(÷)</p>
<p>The Scarred One returns. In the dark of the night, while Appa can hear the other humans chattering around the fire in the Temple, he slips in on silent feet, steps steady but hands trembling as he approaches.</p>
<p> "Easy, boy." Scarred One makes the sounds The Sokka (The Waterbender's littermate) uses to calm Appa before giving an offering of food. The Scarred One's lips turn upward at the corners — not as much as Favorite Human's always do, but enough that Appa can understand the human expression of joy. He holds out a hand, holding one of the soft green pears that hang on the trees above. Appa accepts the offering, snorting his thanks. </p>
<p> The Scarred One keeps talking, and Appa finds himself growing used to his voice (like a fast-blowing breeze through dry leaves). The human settles his back against Appa's side as he talks, arms tracing paths through thick fur, plucking burrs and leaves and grass absentmindedly (for this, Appa is grateful). He comes away covered in long strands of hair that stick on his head and make him appear like the older humans whose hair lightens as they age. </p>
<p>The chattering at the fire quiets and then stops altogether, and it's then that the Scarred One leaves, giving Appa's nose a gentle pat as he leaves. His hand is warmer than Appa is used to, and he pulls back. The human's unscarred, unburnt eye goes wide, and he takes several quick steps back, making a quiet sound before leaving. </p>
<p>(÷)</p>
<p>Appa looks forward to the Scarred One's visits. He almost always has fruit, or sometimes an armful of dry leaves and grass. Sometimes he stays all night in the stable, talking and carding his hands through Appa's fur, ridding him of whatever burrs or leaves he's accumulated. The heat that radiates from him is comforting once Appa gets accustomed to it. His voice turns into something soothing the more often he's around and the more comfortable he is. Sometimes making the melodic sounds Appa knows as song, sometimes just chattering the regular human way. </p>
<p>He falls asleep by Appa's side, one night, kneeling up with his face and arms buried in fur. Appa curls around him the way his mother and father did when he was smaller than the human is.</p>
<p>Favorite Human enters the stable in the morning, and the corners of his mouth turn up as he brings Appa's hay and apples. He makes a few human-sounds, then goes about business as usual. </p>
<p>The Scarred One wakes up while Favorite Human is sweeping leaves into a pile in the corner, bending the air currents to follow his movements. The Scarred One wriggles away from Appa, eyeing Favorite Human with the look of an animal that's unsure whether it's been spotted by a predator. </p>
<p> Favorite Human turns, face stretching in a wide smile. </p>
<p>(:)</p>
<p>Favorite Human often brings Zuko (as he refers to the Scarred One) to Appa's stable now. They both bring food, and after Favorite Human finds the long-handled brushes in another room, they both spend a while every day brushing Appa's fur. Zuko no longer sleeps in the stable, instead joining the others around their fire. </p>
<p>Appa carries the group away from the Temple when the Blue Fire — the one they call Azula — attacks them; carries The Waterbender and Zuko to a ship, then a village, and then to an island. </p>
<p>He later carries them to a place built of pale tile and red shingle and cold metal grates. He can do nothing but watch as Zuko fights Blue Fire. He watches when lightning courses through Zuko's body, leaving him twitching and sparking on the ground. He watches the Waterbender overpower Blue Fire, leaving her chained to a grate, wailing and writhing. </p>
<p>Sokka and his mate, Suki, and the Badgermoles' Pupil, Toph, all arrive. Toph and Suki carry Sokka between them as they walk off the airship. Favorite Human follows, at a pace that indicates he's tired. Appa can see him fighting his exhaustion, but the moment he reaches Appa he collapses against his side. </p>
<p>The Waterbender approaches, supporting Zuko on her shoulder. In spite of his obvious injury, Sokka stands to assist her. Together they bring him over to Appa, laying Zuko against his side. They all lay down in turn, until the only one not a part of their sleeping pile is Favorite Human, peacefully asleep on Appa's other side. The Lemur climbs into Appa's nose, curling up. </p>
<p>Appa lays his head on the ground, closing his eyes. He gets the feeling that there's time for him to rest now. </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Part II: Momo</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Momo is a lot less polite than Appa in his descriptions.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Momo hangs out by the New Guy's window for a while. Just to assess the situation. Momo might not speak human, but he understands human nature enough to know that it's not normal for This Guy to be in their space. If This Guy is in their space, he's usually making a ton of noise and generally being irritating. From what Momo's gathered, This Guy is kind of an asshole. </p><p>At the moment, he's sleeping, after returning from who-knows-where covered in fur. Probably from the Big Dumb Idiot, but who really knows with This Guy. He might have a mate who looks like The Smaller Idiot's Mate-Who-Turned-Into-A-Fish, with white hair. </p><p>Anyway, he's sleeping, and he looks <em>so weird</em>. Flat on his back, arms straight by his sides, face to the ceiling, feet together. He looks like he's trying to do an impression of a dead bird, in Momo's opinion. He doesn't snore, or shift, or do <em>anything </em>except <em>breathe. </em>Mouth closed, so there's not even the chance of a spider taking advantage of the situation. </p><p>Momo gets bored of watching <em>very</em> quickly, and finally decides to take action. </p><p>He launches himself across the room, landing on the edge of the bed. New Guy reacts <em>immediately,</em> jolting awake with a gasp at the shift in weight on the bed, his arm knocking loudly against the wall. Momo puts on his best Innocent face as the New Guy stares at him, breathing heavily and cradling his arm. In moments, he's calmed down, his expression changing to Relaxed, and he's making the Incomprehensible Babbling sounds. He reaches out, and Momo instinctively rears back, because who does This Guy think he <em>is?</em></p><p>New Guy just keeps his hand where it is, not really moving, and Momo finally realizes he's not actually trying to hurt him. He cautiously sniffs the hand (which smells like smoke, and pears, and Big Dumb Idiot). New Guy moves the hand, raising it above Momo's head, and Momo doesn't take his eyes away as New Guy slowly reaches behind Momo's ear, scratching gently.</p><p><em>Hm. </em>New Guy is loud and annoying, but he gives pets better than <em>some </em>humans (Smaller Idiot comes to mind). </p><p> (0)</p><p>Momo notices New Guy leaving his room a lot at night, coming back covered in the white hair. Momo actually follows him, one night. </p><p>He finds New Guy laying on his belly on top of Big Dumb Idiot's back, babbling away while he twists together locks of Big Dumb Idiot's fur. </p><p>Momo feels a mix of shock and betrayal. <em>He </em>had dibs on New Guy! Big Dumb Idiot shouldn't even <em>get </em>dibs. He doesn't even have <em>hands!</em> What does he contribute? <em>Nothing!</em></p><p>Okay, maybe that's going a little too far. The point is Momo's feelings are hurt. Nobody takes time from their schedule to hang out with <em>him. </em>Nobody cares about the lemur. Smaller Idiot brings him fishing sometimes, but that's about it. </p><p>Momo's had enough. He climbs up to Big Idiot's back, and then leaps onto New Guy's back. </p><p>New Guy stiffens, then lets out a <em>shriek </em>that echoes off the walls and the sides of the cliffs. </p><p>Momo remembers why it's a bad idea to sneak up on This Guy. </p><p>Momo quickly scurries around to where New Guy can see him — New Guy stops shrieking, which Momo is immensely thankful for, because with his huge ears, a sound that loud is like...</p><p>Loud. It's loud. Lemurs aren't great with metaphors. Or similes. And they often confuse the two, so Momo generally tries to avoid the use of either. </p><p>New Guy sits up and stares at Momo, eyes narrowed — though <em>that </em>eye is narrowed all the time. Momo takes that as a good sign, and climbs up to New Guy's head. New Guy does a loud breath, the way humans do when they're tired, and reaches up to run his fingers through Momo's fur, babbling quietly as he does. </p><p>Momo curls up in the soft, dark fur on New Guy's head, closing his eyes and relaxing. </p><p>His relaxation is interrupted rudely when New Guy moves again, but oh well. It was nice while it lasted. </p><p>(0)</p><p>Not-So-New Guy is in pretty bad shape after fighting Crazy Lady. Momo's pretty sure he could do better, but nobody ever asks <em>him </em>to fight. Really, he'd rather not. </p><p>Not-New Guy is leaned against Big Dumb Idiot's side, looking like he's about to pass out. The other humans crowd around him, looking like a litter of young curled up against their mother. </p><p>Momo slowly climbs down, putting himself between Not-New Guy (who is, by the way, really nice and warm. Momo likes this.) and Smaller Idiot, whose shoulder has always made a good resting area. </p><p>He curls up, closing his eyes. <em>Finally, </em>he thinks, <em>these dumb humans will let me get some rest. Can't interrupt me of you're all asleep. </em></p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Ohh boy this was hard to write <br/>As it turns out, it is ridiculously hard to narrate from the point of view of an animal, whose every thought has to be put through a filter of "Is This Bison-ish Enough?" (A phrase I never thought I would have to write), and who cannot comprehend human language or actions.<br/>In conclusion, Sorry this kind of sucked.<br/>Hopefully Momo's chapter will be better.<br/>Next installment in the series will be a mini-continuation of Kiyi's, featuring Tom-Tom and some Parent Trap-style hijinks as they attempt to bring their siblings together (because I'm a sucker for Maiko and someone very kindly provided me with this idea in the comments)</p></blockquote></div></div>
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